SALT LAKE CITY –About an hour before the Rockies took on the Seattle Mariners Saturday afternoon for their final spring exhibition game, right fielder Michael Cuddyer was talking about what the club wanted to accomplish.

“We want to get a few final at-bats, and most of all make sure nobody gets hurt,” he said.

Sure enough, Cuddyer and second baseman Josh Rutledge collided in the third inning while chasing down Jesus Montero’s popup to shallow right field. Both players went down, and Rutledge stayed down before he was helped off the field and out of the game. Fortunately, Rutledge only had the wind knocked out of him. Cuddyer stayed in the game.

“I knew it was not a big deal,” Rutledge said. “But he squared me up, for sure.”

Quipped manager Walt Weiss: “I told Cuddy, if this was the NFL he’d be fined for sure.”

HITS: Lefty Jeff Francis, who will start Friday’s home opener against the Padres at Coors Field, pitched a strong six innings, allowing two runs of five hits. He did serve up two homers — to Kendrys Morales in the fourth and Justin Smoak in the fifth — but Spring Mobile Ballpark’s rarefied air had something to do with that. There is no humidor here and the balls fly a la “Coors Canaveral.”

“It was all positives and it was as good a spring as I’ve had in my career,” said Francis, who finished his exhibition season with a 2.76 ERA. “But now it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is I feel good about how I’m pitching, now we go into the regular season.”

Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton each belted homers off of Mariners starter Brandon Maurer. Helton also hit a double. Both players finished the exhibition season with three homers.

“Todd has had a really good spring,” Weiss said. “I think his swing is really good right now, and the timing of it has worked out. He didn’t want a ton of at-bats this spring, and he wanted to peak at the right time, as we broke camp. That’s what he’s done and he’s in a really good place.”

MISSES: Starting third baseman Chris Nelson missed Saturday’s game because of a stomach ailment. The club sent him ahead to Milwaukee to recover and to avoid having Nelson spread the bug to his teammates.

UP NEXT: The Rockies flew from Salt Lake to Milwaukee following Saturday’s game. They will workout in Milwaukee on Sunday and then open the season Monday at Miller Park. The first pitch of the 2013 season is set for 12:10 p.m. MDT. Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin starts for the Rockies and right-hander Yovani Gallardo starts for the Brewers.

Rockies left fielder Carlos Gonzalez, who will join Venezuela’s WBC team next week, had himself a fine Friday afternoon at the ballpark. He launched his first homer of spring, a mammoth solo shot to the berm beyond right field in the fifth. In the third, he rocketed a two-run, opposite-field double to left. He drove in DH Henry Wrigley, who had reached on a single, and Eric Young Jr., who laid down a perfect bunt down the first-base line for a single.

“It’s a good sign when you use the whole field for power, so today was a good day,” said Gonzalez, who will play for the Rockies Saturday before joining the Venezuelan team on Sunday.

HITS: The Rockies got solid pitching from both Danny Rosenbaum and Chris Volstadt.

Rosenbaum, a lefty picked up in the Rule 5 draft in December, threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and facing the minimum six batters, thanks to a double play to end the second. In two outings, he has yet to be scored upon.

Volstadt, the 6-foot-8 right-hander who’s in the mix to make the starting rotation, allowed one run on two hits in three innings.

“I tell myself that I’m in the running for a starting spot,” he said. “Whether that’s true or not I don’t know, or what other people think, I don’t know. But that’s what I’m pitching for right now.”

Volstadt said his gameplan is simple: keep the ball down in the zone and get groundball outs.

MISSES: Incumbent third baseman Chris Nelson had a tough day at the plate, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

Reliever Rob Scahill scuffled a bit in the ninth, giving up a run on two hits and uncorking a wild pitch.

UP NEXT: The Rockies travel to neighboring Phoenix Saturday to play the Oakland A’s. Veteran first baseman Todd Helton, coming back from hip surgery, said he planned to make his first Cactus League start. However, after Friday’s game, manager Walt Weiss said he will wait until Sunday’s home game against the A’s to play Helton.

Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin is still scheduled to start for the Rockies Saturday, even though he has a bruised left toe. It would be Chacin’s final start before he joins Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic.

[media-credit name=”John Leyba” align=”aligncenter” width=”495″][/media-credit] Juan Nicasio said advice from former Rockies starter Pedro Astacio has been helpful. Astacio will be in camp for roughly two weeks working for the Rockies.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Juan Nicasio’s bid to make the rotation is receiving a boost from an unlikely source. Former Rockies star Pedro Astacio, one of the organization’s most accomplished pitchers, has spent the last few days in camp talking to the pitchers. Nicasio has taken great interest in Astacio’s advice.

There was perhaps a little anxiousness, and a desire to impress. That’s what happens after missing the final four months and playing for a new manager. All Juan Nicasio showed in his first outing, a Rockies’ loss, is that his left knee is healthy. But he was rusty, lacking secondary pitches to help escape jams when his fastball became elevated.

[media-credit name=”John Leyba” align=”aligncenter” width=”495″][/media-credit] World War ll planes fly over Salt River Fields at Talking Stick before the Rockies’ spring opener against the Diamondbacks. Colorado won 11-2.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — For pitchers, spring is more about repetition than optimism. Finding the right arm slot. Synchronizing the delivery. It can be boring, but in Christian Friedrich’s case it is welcome.

The left-hander threw off the mound Saturday, and will throw a bullpen session Monday as he inches closer to pitching in a game. A stiff back left him a couple of weeks behind the other pitchers, but Friedrich believes he has time to enter the fifth-starter’s derby.

“That’s what they said. This is a long camp. I can’t wait to join the other guys,” Friedrich said. “I feel stronger.”

After a terrific debut victory over San Diego, Friedrich finished 5-8 with a 6.17 ERA, winning just one of his final 10 starts before landing on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his back. Friedrich was effective on the road, particularly his curveball, which is why Tampa Bay has discussed him in trade talks.

“I am not worried about any of that. I want to pitch. I am looking forward to PFP (pitcher fundamentals practice), to getting back out there with my teammates,” Friedrich said.

He has been throwing all of his pitches on flat ground, but just concentrated on fastballs on Saturday. He has stayed away from rotational exercises for a few weeks. As a preventive measure, he’s not expected to swing a bat for awhile. Friedrich is competing with Drew Pomeranz, Tyler Chatwood and Chris Volstad for the fifth starter’s spot. The Rockies continue exploring the trade market and have discussed Jeff Niemann with Tampa Bay.

Footnotes
Troy Tulowitzki said his surgically-repaired left leg felt strong Sunday after his spring debut. Tulo will workout Sunday, but not play in the game. He went 1-for-2 with an RBI on Saturday and ran the bases without any problems. “All signs are good. It’s encouraging,” he said. … Sunday’s game will be broadcast by 850KOA.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — The Rockies have mapped out their pitching for the first week of spring training games, with Drew Pomeranz starting Saturday’s opener against the Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields.

Jhoulys Chacin, who will be leaving the team to compete in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela, is scheduled to pitch Tuesday in Mesa against the Chicago Cubs. That would leave him time to make one more start before exiting to join Venezuela’s rotation in the WBC. Rockies’ starters are scheduled for two innings in their first appearances.

“I should be be able to get ready. We have already been throwing 60 pitches in our bullpen sessions,” Chacin said.

All rotation candidates are starting the first week, save for Christian Friedrich. The left-hander remains behind the other pitchers as he deals with back and neck stiffness. The middle relievers are scheduled for one-to-innings, depending on pitch count. Closer Rafael Betancourt is not listed as pitching the first week, but he threw on Tuesday and is fine, according to the team.

The Rockies will be collecting donations from fans to help the victims of the wild fires that have ravaged Colorado this month. Fans can make the donations before Friday and Saturday night’s games.

Here is the release by the Rockies:

Colorado Rockies fans will have an opportunity to make financial contributions to the state’s fire relief efforts on Friday and Saturday night as they enter Coors Field. Fans will be able to make cash, check or credit card donations at Coors Field. One hundred percent of all donations will go directly to the fire relief efforts. The gates open two hours prior to first pitch. Friday’s game is a first pitch at 6:10 p.m. MDT and Saturday’s at 5:15 p.m. MDT.

In addition to the collection, the Colorado Baseball Club has pledged a significant donation to the fire relief efforts.

“We are all devastated by the wildfires currently burning in our state, and we are doing everything we can to help,” said Rockies Owner/Chairman and CEO Dick Monfort, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by these fires.”

Carlos Gonzalez watches his three-run home run off Houston pitcher Bud Norris in the first inning Thursday at Coors Field.

Until Thursday, there had been the same number of pitchers with perfect games as hitters with home runs in four consecutive plate appearances.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez tipped those scales. His home run off Houston’s Bud Norris in the first inning at Coors Field — a three-run shot to left field — was his fourth home run in four straight plate appearances, dating back to his three-home run effort on Wednesday.

It was the 22nd time that feat has been reached in major-league history.

Lefty Drew Pomeranz, the centerpiece of last summer’s Ubaldo Jimenez trade, is being optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs to work on his mechanics. Lefty Josh Outman, back from a stint rehabbing a strained oblique muscle, takes Pomeranz place on the 25-man roster.

“I think, really, this is the right thing to do,” manager Jim Tracy said. “There are a couple things in relation to his delivery that we need to get cleaned up. I think it’s important knowing how special he is, and the potential that he has, that we get him right. We don’t want him up in the big leagues right now just trying to get by.”

Pomeranz suffered a nasty bruise on his right thigh on Monday night when he got hit by a line drive during a game at San Diego. Tracy, however, said the bruise had nothing to do with the Rockies’ decision to send Pomeranz down. Pomeranz, who was 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA in five starts, will pitch for the Sky Sox on Sunday at Memphis.

“It has to do with his mechanics and his capability to repeat his delivery,” Tracy said. “It has everything to do with that and nothing to do with the ball that he took off his leg.”

PITTSBURGH — Rockies manager Jim Tracy said he has not reached the point where he’s playing matchups with Dexter Fowler, who’s off to a slow start after a dismal spring training.

“I want guys walking into the clubhouse doing guesswork. I want them to know they are playing unless I have talked to them the night before,” Tracy said.

Fowler returned to the starting lineup despite being 0-for-19 against Pirates’ starter Kevin Correia. Fowler has hit .250 off right-handers this season in 24 at-bats. He owns a .327 on-base percentage, and is danger of losing more playing time to Tyler Colvin. The issue with Colvin is whether or not he can play center field regularly at cavernous Coors Field.

The Rockies have committed eight errors in their first six games. Only the Padres and Giants have been worse in the NL. Last season, the Rockies didn’t commit their eighth error until their 12th game.

The sloppy play — especially glaring errors such as the easy fly balls dropped by outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler — aren’t what manager Jim Tracy expected. And certainly not what he wants.

But Tracy sees no reason to rant, rave or push the panic button. Here’s what he had to say during his dugout chat before tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks.

“I certainly don’t think that tearing the dugout apart or tearing the clubhouse apart is what you want you want,” he said. “Because it’s really bringing way too much light to it when there has been so much brought to it already. … Let’s be mindful of it and clean it up like Jason Giambi said. … Let’s let it go, let’s move on.”

In case you haven’t seem them yet, here are lineups for tonight’s game:

As we count down to lefty Jamie Moyer’s attempt to make history this afternoon as oldest pitcher to win a big-league game, here are some fun facts to ponder:

— When Moyer made his MLB debut on June 16, 1986 with the Cubs vs. Philly, it was more than three years before Madison Bumgarner, today’s Giants starter, was born.

— Bumgarner is 22 years, 225 days old. Moyer is 49 years, 146 days old. That age difference (26 years, 256 days) is the third-largest between starting pitchers in MLB history. That according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The only ones older were:
* The Kansas City A’s Satchel Paige (59) and the Red Sox’s Bill Monbouquette (29) on Sept. 25, 1965. The age difference was 30 years, 35 days.
* The St. Louis Browns’ Paige (47) and the Tigers’ Bob Miller (18) on Sept. 22, 1953. The age difference was 29 years, 8 days.

A quick peek at the lineups for today’s Rockies-Giants game at Coors Field. More to come in an update after Jim Tracy’s pre-game dugout chat.

Highlight of today’s lineup is Jordan Pacheco getting the start at first base and hitting seventh. Pacheco looked more comfortable at first than at third during spring training. At least in my opinion.

Here’s what Tracy had to say about Pacheco at first: “We played him there quite a bit last September and worked with him at spring training. Now am I saying because of all of that he’s perfect? Not necessarily. But am I confident he can do an adequate job? I very definitely feel that way.”

Tracy said he’s going to mix and match as best he can to get at-bats for Pacheco and third baseman Chris Nelson.

Penny Adams wears purple shoes in support of the Rockies while standing with her daughter, Adrianna, before the Colorado Rockies home opener against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on April 9, 2012.

The sun shimmers off the Coors Field grass today. The concourses, aisles and seats are pristine enough to make the folks at Disneyland blush. So goes the Rockies’ home-opener for 2012, as Colorado starts its first homestand of the season against the Giants.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.